A Flighty Affair
by Athena Blackquill
Summary: Cykesquill, Claypollo, Maya x Phoenix. Others pairings may pop in. Major Ace Attorney 5: Dual Destinies spoilers. Simon adjusts to life outside of prison, which leads to a different kind of adventure.
1. Chapter 1

It had been nearly a year since Simon Blackquill's name had been cleared and his life spared, thanks to the Wright Anything Agency's efforts. He had been falsely, yet intentionally on his part, convicted of murdering his mentor, Metis Cykes. Metis's daughter, Athena Cykes, had spent every moment she could studying to become a lawyer in order to prove Simon's innocence. With the help of Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice, she had been able to show Simon didn't kill her mother. More importantly, to Simon anyway, Athena's name had been cleared during that trial as well. A man known only as the Phantom had been found and prosecuted for the murder, which is ironically who the darkly-clad prosecutor had been searching for when he first mentored under Metis. Simon was eternally grateful to the Wright Anything Agency, though he would never let them know that.

The prosecutor had been able to keep his job thanks to the efforts of his boss, Miles Edgeworth, a man he deeply respected. Since then, Simon had been able to prove himself as an intimidating lawyer capable of psychological manipulation. He worked with Edgeworth to partner with defense lawyers in order to search for the truth, rather than simply win the case. Simon's false conviction, as well as someone planting falsified evidence on Wright, had led to a dark age of the law, which they worked fervently to end. The two groups-the prosecutors under Miles Edgeworth and the defense lawyers under Phoenix Wright-had made excellent progress toward this goal, but there was still plenty of work to be done.

Today, Simon had been called to collect some evidence for a case Edgeworth was prosecuting. Unfortunately, Edgeworth had been called away at the last minute and thus could not retrieve it himself, which is what he preferred to do. Simon offered to get it for him. Making his way through the crowded courthouse lobby, Simon moved deftly between groups of people (those that didn't move out of the intimidating prosecutor's way, that is) and headed straight toward the office the courthouse had provided for Detective Gumshoe. He had no intention of staying very long, as he would rather not to be around many people when possible. He much preferred the company of Taka, his hawk, who usually sat on his shoulder and attacked people when they were lying or being foolish, and Athena, who he had grown closer to since his release.

"Blaaaaaaaaaaacckquiiiiiiiiiiillllllllll!" a voice rang out in the courthouse.

Simon sighed and turned around as a blur of yellow approached him. "Cykes-dono, yell any louder and they'll hold you in contempt of court... And it's not even in session."

Not paying any attention to Simon's snide remark, Athena ran up to him and pulled his arm so his head was near hers. Taka screeched and flew off to rest on a flag hanging in the lobby. "You cut your hair!" she squealed, and started running her fingers through it. Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice followed behind her sheepishly.

"Ngh, Cykes-dono..." Simon turned a little red. "It's just hair..."

"Wow! You look so much younger this way! This reminds me of when you worked with my mom!" She turned to her fellow defense attorneys. "Doesn't it look great?"

Phoenix laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well, hair can make or break the man, Blackquill. Looks good!" Apollo simply nodded, trying not to laugh at the image of Athena preening the prosecutor.

"I take it you're here for a case?" Simon asked, somehow managing to break free and stand up straight, shaking his hair out. Taka returned to his shoulder and glared at Athena. She backed away, slowly.

Phoenix shook his head. "Actually, we called your office and learned you were here. We were wonde-"

"We should have a party!" Athena interrupted, clapping her hands together.

Simon smiled and shook his head. Knowing the answer, he asked, "And just what would the occasion be?"

Athena held her left elbow in her right hand and looked away. "Well, you know..." When Simon didn't answer, she responded by holding her fists out in front of her, a determined look on her face. "It's been a year since you were proven innocent! We're happy you're still here and we should celebrate that!"

Simon shook his head again. "Cykes-dono, I am not inclined toward holding any festivities for that. Besides, too much noise upsets Taka, and _you _make too much noise." He laughed at his own joke.

"That evil bird..." Athena mumbled. "Well it was just an idea! It's just, it's almost been a year, you know? Like an anniversary of sorts."

"I hadn't been paying attention," Simon lied. "I've been more focused on doing my duties as a lawyer, unlike a certain baby chick I know." He smirked. Athena tried to glare menacingly at Simon, but he laughed the look off. "If you are ever to intimidate another lawyer, Cykes-dono, you will need to work a bit harder." Simon bowed and added, "If you'll excuse me." He waved disinterestedly as he walked away, feather in his mouth.

After he was out of earshot, Athena asked her fellow defense attorneys, "Did he seem happy to you?"

Apollo made a face. "Does Blackquill know what that emotion is?" Phoenix laughed, but Athena scowled.

"I dunno, he just seems more happy around us than usual."

"I think he just gets enjoyment out of teasing you, Athena," Phoenix said. Apollo nodded in agreement.

Athena flushed. "Wh-why would it have anything to do with me?"

"Oh?" Phoenix smirked. "Would that bother you?"

"Well, no..." Athena responded thoughtfully. She _had _spent time with him over the past few months, mostly at her request. They'd occasionally gone to Eldoon's noodle stand, but Simon preferred to eat sushi or tempura, which Eldoon's did not have. Other times they would go to museums and Simon would rattle off information about any exhibits that featured Japanese culture. They usually had a good time, Simon teasing Athena and Athena getting worked up over his jokes, or the two of them reminiscing about the past, when Athena's mother was still alive. Once, much to Athena's embarrassment, Simon even brought her some drawings she'd made for him when she was a child. He claimed his sister, Aura, had them stashed away somewhere, but she thought that surely Aura would have burned anything Athena had ever made. She was sure Simon had actually kept them, which embarrassed her even more for some reason.

Athena sighed. "I think he does remember that the anniversary is coming up, and that's why he's so happy."

Apollo made a face again. "Using 'Blackquill' and 'happy' without the 'not' just seems wrong." Athena punched his shoulder. "Ow! But in all seriousness, are you picking that up with your hearing or what? He looks... normal... to me."

Athena's power-to hear others' emotions, even if they say they're feeling a different way-often came in handy, especially during cases, when witnesses weren't always honest.

"Yeah, I can definitely tell that he's happier lately!"

Phoenix held his hand up to his chin, thinking. "Well, I hate to harp on it, but you _have_ been spending more time than usual with him lately. Maybe seeing you just cheers him up, especially considering a year ago both of you were in danger."

Athena sighed. "I guess that's it," she agreed, "but it just seems like it's something else I can't quite put my finger on."

Phoenix laughed. "Well, I guess you'll just have to get Gumshoe to help you investigate the case." Apollo held his face in his palm.

It was Athena's turn to make a face. "That guy couldn't find the gum on his shoe if it came up and kicked him in the head..."

Apollo grimaced. "That was painful, Athena..."

Ignoring Apollo, Athena threw a finger up in the air. "Aha! I have an idea. Let's throw him a _surprise _party!" Apollo groaned. "Oh come on, it'll be fun! Phoenix, you could get Miles to help, I'm sure." She smiled as sweetly as she could.

"Uh," Phoenix responded, rubbing the back of his head, "I can _try_. Miles isn't exactly the festive type either."

"Maybe that's a prosecutor thing," Apollo offered.

"Phoenix, promise you'll try!"

Phoenix laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll try." He sighed. "But that means I need to go to Miles's office again..." He shook his head. "I always end up spending too much time in there. The man always wants a cup of tea." Apollo gave a look that suggested he didn't believe the defense attorney, and Phoenix responded with a confused look of his own.

"Great! We'll get supplies. See you later!" Athena pulled Apollo's arm and dragged him out the door.

Phoenix watched the pair leave and crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Those two..."

"Are they going to throw me a party anyway?" he heard behind him, and jumped. Simon laughed. "Wright-dono, you must never be off your guard. I once shared a cell with a man who had learned that lesson the hard way after he tried to steal from an off-duty officer and didn't notice the officer's _on-duty_ partner getting a cup of coffee nearby."

"You... shared a cell with a lot of weird people," Phoenix responded. "But uh, yes, Athena wants to surprise you. Please don't tell her I told you that."

"Not a problem," Simon responded. "You won't need to go to Miles, either. He's out of town. But I'll make sure he comes to the party as well."

"How did you...?"

Simon walked toward the courthouse doors and smirked, looking behind him. "Taka has excellent hearing," he responded.

Phoenix stared at the duo in disbelief. A bird overhearing their conversation? "This day just keeps getting weirder..."


	2. Chapter 2

When Simon told his supervisor what their favorite defense attorneys had planned for Simon, Miles laughed. "I never figured you for a party-goer, Simon." He picked up a teacup from his desk and motioned toward the tea set for Simon to make himself some. Simon bowed in thanks and fixed himself some black tea, afterward sitting in the chair in front of Edgeworth's desk.

Simon shook his head. "I am not, nor have I ever been, particularly fond of parties. However, it seems to be important to Cykes-dono, so the least I can to do at least feign surprise. Besides," Simon reached up and pet Taka, "I don't think that I could stop her even if I tried."

Miles shrugged and placed the teacup back down on his desk. "If she's anything like Nick, then you're correct. She would throw you a party whether you showed up or not." He sighed and added, "I suppose it would be rude to ignore the hospitality. Do we know when this is happening?"

Simon answered in the negative, so Miles picked up the phone and pressed 1 on his speed dial. After a couple rings, someone picked up. "Hello Trucy. Yes, it's Miles. Is Nick there?" A pause, then, "Excellent, yes I'd like to speak with him." Another pause, and the prosecutor blushed slightly. "N-no, it's for work, Trucy... Yes, I will be there this we-" Miles seemed to remember Simon was in the room, "-um, please put Mr. Wright on... Yes. Thank you." He sighed and turned to glance out the open window behind him, possibly still a bit red, as he waited for Trucy to get Phoenix on the phone.

Miles had an odd relationship with the Wrights, Simon mused, but it seemed to work out okay for them. He sipped silently on his tea while Taka preened himself.

"Yes, Nick, it's Miles. I-what?" A few more more moments of silence as Miles turned back to Simon and rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, Trucy reminded me. I'm aware of that... Nick... Nick... PHOENIX. When is this supposed 'surprise party'?" Simon could hear an exclamation on the other end of the phone, and Miles placed his head in his hand. "Yes, that's all I wanted to ask, thank you. Please let me know when Ms. Cykes has more details... Yes, we'll be there... Yes, Simon has agreed to feign surprise, since it is, after all, a surprise party... Yes, thank you." He hung up the phone and adjusted his cravat nervously.

"They have no idea."

Simon laughed heartily. "That seems to have been a lot of work for such a pitiful answer."

"Er, yes, well... Trucy has a magic show this weekend, and the two of them are very excited for it, and as such every time I call I'm reminded by both of them that it's happening." Miles ran his fingers through his hair and adjusted his cravat again, then picked up his tea for another drink. He had a look on his face that suggested he prefer his cup be filled with alcohol at that particular moment.

Simon found himself wondering how often Edgeworth actually called Phoenix, but decided against asking the question. Calmly, he finished his tea, placed it on Edgeworth's desk, and stood. "Thank you for the tea, Edgeworth-dono. I suppose I should get back to work. Oh, yes." He motioned toward the open window, and Taka flew out, returning after a few moments with a folder. "This is from Gumshoe, those documents you requested earlier."

"Ah, yes, thank you." He flipped through the folder and nodded, until he came upon a note stashed in there. He held it up and sighed, then handed it to Simon. "Please throw that away."

Simon couldn't help but look at it on his way out the door. It was a long, rambling handwritten note from Detective Gumshoe detailing how glad he was to be able to help Edgeworth with the case, and how if he needed anything, just call him up and let him know, and Missile (_Who is Missile?_ Simon wondered) missed him, and maybe sometime they could go out for a steak lunch, he did get a bonus this time around, and of course to let him know if the prosecutor needed anything. Simon smirked and carefully placed the letter on the very top of the trash can, should his supervisor have a change of heart.

-

Athena dragged Apollo to five or six different stores, picking up decorations ("Athena don't you think you're overdoing it with the bird patterns?-Okay no, you're not picking up this jailbird statue, that's just low... Wait why would they even make these, anyway?") and everything else needed for a surprise party. By the time they were done, Apollo was dragging his feet (as well as several bags), but somehow Athena was even more excited and energetic.

"I can't wait to decorate the office! Trucy will love this. Do you know if she'll be around?" Athena didn't seem weighed down by the bags she was carrying at all.

"I don't know, Clay was supposed to take her to Shipshape Aquarium later on today. She might be around tonight, though. When are we going to hold this thing anyway?"

Athena thought for a moment. "Well, today is Monday, so maybe Thursday? That'll give boss enough time to get Edgeworth to plan to get him out of the office."

Apollo nodded. "That makes sense." He looked down at his bags and sighed. "Where are we going to keep all this, anyway?" The two began walking toward the subway station that would take them back to the office. They lucked out, and the train arrived shortly after they did.

"Oh, I'm sure Trucy has room somewhere!" Athena said cheerfully as she stepped on the train.

_This is going to be a train wreck,_ Apollo thought to himself, but was smart enough to not say those words aloud.

"Wh-what is all this?" Phoenix asked as the two carried everything into the office.

Athena put the bags down and flashed a peace sign. "This is for the party!"

Phoenix gave Apollo a look that suggested Apollo hadn't done a good enough job reining her in. As Apollo passed him to begin putting some of the bags up, he muttered to Phoenix, "You should have seen the stuff she didn't buy that she wanted to."

After Trucy and Clay returned to the office, Trucy and Athena spent the rest of the afternoon decorating the place. ("Why are you doing it so early?" Apollo asked, but of course they ignored him.) Clay and Apollo supervised the two while Phoenix went over some documents for an upcoming case.

"Have I met this guy before?" Clay casually asked Apollo.

Apollo squinted. "I think maybe once or twice. He's tall, broody, dresses in black and has a pet hawk. Kind of hard to miss." Athena glared at him. "What? That was accurate."

"He's not always moody!" Quickly she turned back around as Trucy dropped some of the bird-themed streamers. Athena picked the roll up and handed it back to Trucy, who was atop a stepladder, taping the streamers up.

"Uh, sure..." _So defensive of him lately,_ Apollo thought, again smart enough to not voice those thoughts.

Clay chuckled. "I think I've met him once, now that I think about it. Right after the hospital, maybe." Apollo's face flashed pain, and Athena looked over at him, frowning. Clay didn't notice. "All of your opponents in court have been really weird, it sounds like. You've had the toupee guy, the weird face mask dude with the coffee, that chick with a whip... Edgeworth might be the only normal one."

Apollo laughed. "Dude wears ruffles."

"...Point taken."

"It's a cravat!" Phoenix yelled from the other room.

"Sure, whatever," Apollo yelled back, and everyone laughed.

After an hour or so, the two ladies had completed putting up the decorations. Trucy had put together a miniature stage for a magic show ("I think I can do some bird tricks!" she exclaimed happily, causing Apollo to sigh and place his head in his hand), streamers were all over the place, and bird pictures hung on the wall. The cups had canaries on them, the plates featured robins, and somehow Athena had managed to snag a hawk statue without Apollo seeing it.

Clay fought to hold back laughter. "It looks really... nice. I'm sure he'll have a..."

_Oh no, _Apollo thought, knowing that tone._ Here they come.  
><em>  
>"...<em>pheasant <em>time at the party." He began snickering, and Athena, having seen these fits before, started rolling her eyes, while Trucy giggled and watched on with interest.

"Clay..." Apollo started, but it was too late.

"There won't be any_ fowl _play here! If so, there'd be just _caws_ for some discipline!"

"Clay, no..." The bird puns were a hundred times worse than his usual space puns. Worse yet, he was trying to fit law terms in there as well.

Phoenix came out from the other room. "Someone stop him, I'm getting a headache," he joked.

Clay lost it. "You already rose from the ashes once!" He giggled himself into sitting down, more pleased that he was annoying Apollo than anything.

It was Athena's turn to interrupt, as Clay continued and Apollo got more and more frustrated with him. "Okay then, boss, I think I'm going to uh, head home. Tell Edgeworth we'll have the party Thursday after work!"

"Sure thing," Phoenix responded, eyes still on Clay and Apollo, a smirk playing on his face. "You two, you should head out too. Go on, spread your wings and fly." He laughed as Apollo whipped around and yelled for Phoenix to not encourage him.

Phoenix turned around and went back into his office, tidying up to go home. He glanced at the photo of him and Mia Fey from a few months before her untimely death. "You'd love the group," he said quietly, picking it up. "Maybe they're a bit too silly for your tastes, but you'd love them all the same." Sighing, he put the photo down as he heard Apollo and Clay leave. In a few days, he'd be throwing a party for a prosecutor. He smiled. Edgeworth will pretend not to be pleased, but he's going to totally love it.

With that, he turned the lights off and headed home for the night.

* * *

><p><em>Notes: Clay, obviously, is alive in this AU. Instead of dying at the space center, he sustained severe injuries, and during the trial, the Phantom attempted to kill him again. However, due to the stress of the situation, he wasn't at the top of his game and failed again, making it the first and second time he'd ever failed to complete a mission, adding to the frustration he felt near the end of the trial. Clay doesn't remember any of this but heard about it through Apollo and the others.<em>


	3. Chapter 3

Today was the day of Athena's party for Simon, and she couldn't be more of a nervous wreck. Though she worked as hard as she normally does, Widget remained in his anxious yellow state for the majority of the workday. During breaks, she went over the party "to do" list, driving everyone crazy: she checked to make sure that the decorations were still there and had not been moved, she called the food deliverers to triple check that they would be there on time, and she called Miles to ensure he would do his best to help with the surprise aspect of the party.

Meanwhile, Simon was finishing up his work for the day when he heard a knock on his door. "Enter," he said, glancing up. Miles opened the door and peered in.

"Simon, I have a request. Mr. Wright has asked us to meet with him regarding an upcoming case." _This better work._

Simon smirked. "Is it time for the surprise party?"

Miles shook his head. "It appears Athena somehow found out you know about the party, and thus moved it to next week."

"Hm." Simon rubbed his chin. "Interesting. I'm surprised someone like her could wait that long. Did Wright-dono say what the case was about?"

Miles shook his head and shrugged. "He said that he was unable to divulge the information on the phone, but what he was able to say is that a particular item had been stolen several years ago and had suddenly reappeared. I believe that this may be tied to at least one murder."

Simon straightened. "I will accompany you, Edgeworth-dono. Please allow me a moment to organize my office and I will be out right away."

Miles nodded and exited the room, breathing the quietest sigh of relief he could manage. _It seems like Simon bought the story._ He had warned Athena that Simon was onto the ruse, but that he would do his best to lead him off course. _Now, all we need to do is keep his suspicion low..._

Taka squawked and flew to Simon's shoulder. Simon rubbed Taka's head and said to the bird, "I believe we have work to do." He quickly and quietly put his files away. His eyes drifted to his desk drawer, which he opened hesitantly. Inside lay a small yellow box with light blue ribbon around it. Simon gingerly picked up the box and slid it into a breast pocket on the inside of his coat. _Just in case... _The two headed out the door, with Simon turning off the lights and locking the door behind them.

The trip to the Wright Anything Agency was a relatively quiet one, with Miles looking especially pensive. _Something Wright-dono said on the phone must have really gotten to him, _Simon thought to himself, but he still felt like it was possible Miles was leading him on. The story did sound somewhat similar to his own case, after all. The three of them walked up to the front door and Miles opened it, leading them inside.

"Nick?" Miles called, but no one responded. In fact, Wright Agency was completely dark. "...Nick?" Miles called out again, more worried. "Simon, be prepared for anything..." Miles spoke softly, his voice trembling ever so slightly. Simon's right hand went immediately to the katana at his belt, and Miles flipped the light switch.

"SURPRISE!" A multitude of voices jumped at Simon, Taka squawked and flew off his shoulder, and he pulled his katana out halfway before realizing what had been said. Sliding the sword back into its sheath, he scanned the room, stunned. Athena, Apollo, and the person he believed to be Clay had jumped out from behind a couch. Phoenix and Gumshoe had jumped in from Phoenix's office. A young girl (who Simon guessed to be Trucy) and another young girl he didn't recognize at all, jumped out from behind a curtain on what appeared to be a stage. Simon shot a look at Miles, initially irritated, but then he saw Miles was holding back laughter and couldn't help but chuckle himself.

"Were you surprised?" Athena asked, clasping her hands together. "We have so much stuff for you!"

Simon took another look around the room. Every single decoration had some kind of bird theme to it. Streamers with canaries on them, a stack of robin-embroidered cups and bluebird napkins. Pictures of hawks and eagles lined the walls, some of which appear to have been drawn by someone, likely Trucy and perhaps the other girl. Suddenly, he felt a bit embarrassed by the box in his jacket. _Stupid..._

"You... don't like it?" Widget flashed bright yellow.

"Hm?" Simon snapped back to reality. "No, Cykes-dono, it is wonderful." He bowed. "I was thoroughly surprised at the ability of both you and Edgeworth-dono to mislead me. I appreciate the kind gesture, and am immensely amused at the party decorations."

Athena jumped up and down. "I'm so happy!" It was true, Widget was bright green, with a smile on his "face." "Let me introduce you to everyone." Simon was led around the room and introduced to Clay, Trucy, and someone named Pearl Fey. Upon introduction, he seemed to remember she was involved with the one case with the orca. Indeed, she did seem to have a penguin calendar in her possession, further convincing him he'd seen her before. Trucy explained that she would be providing a "pro bono" (had Phoenix taught her that phrase?) show for him on account of him never having had the chance to see her magic shows. Athena grabbed him arm and hastily showed him the mini sushi bar they had set up.

Simon couldn't help but feel touched by how much trouble everyone seemed to have gone through. Unconsciously, Simon wrapped his arm around Athena's shoulder and pulled her closer to him; he didn't notice he had done this until Athena flung her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly. "Your heart is practically singing!" She was completely aglow.

Simon laughed. "You are practically singing yourself, Cykes-dono."

Athena blushed deeply and pulled away, rubbing the back of her head the way Phoenix often did. "O-oh, you know, it's nothing! I'm just happy you're here and that we've been able to hang out!"

It was Simon's turn to blush slightly. "Yes, I have also enjoyed being able to spend time with you..."

On the other end of the room, Clay was laughing. "I can see what's happening..."

"What?" Apollo asked, turning away from watching Phoenix and Miles talk.

"They don't have a clue."

"Who?" Apollo looked around the room.

"Oh, nothing..." Clay walked over to the sushi table and poked Simon. "You should eat some sushi first!"

"Hm? Oh, yes, of course." Simon grabbed a cardinal-stamped plate and placed several pieces of sushi on it, including a few for Taka. After he began eating his, others grabbed plates and lined up to get their own. Soon the room was filled with talking and laughter, and Simon was soon acquainted with those he had not known before.

Clay Terran was an employee of Cosmos Space Center, working not only as an astronaut, but also as a tour guide and educator. He seemed incredibly close to Apollo, and Simon found himself a bit envious that they had such a close and longstanding relationship. The closest he'd had to something like that was with Metis, Athena's mother, though she was more of a mentor figure for him. Taka, of course, was his dearest friend, but it was different, and probably a bit embarrassing upon contemplation, that his best friend was a bird. He had Athena had become closer over the past year, but he doubted he could reach what Apollo and Clay seemed to have...

Pearl Fey, apparently affectionately known as "Pearly" (which she insisted everyone call her), was the younger cousin of Maya and (deceased) Mia Fey. He had not met either of her family members, but Maya was rumored to be coming in this weekend for the magic show. Pearl, like many members of her family, appeared to be a talented spirit medium and was partially responsible for keeping Phoenix's magatama charged. Simon spent a good portion of time listening to Pearl explain her role as a spirit medium, and said she would look into perhaps finding Simon a magatama, if he were interested.

Trucy Wright was the absolutely adorable adoptive daughter of Phoenix Wright. She had a talent for magic, though Simon was slightly disturbed at her carrying around what she called her "magic panties." Simon noted a passing likeness between her and Apollo, but thought little of it. Apparently, she was fast friends with Jinxie Tenma, who had been involved with the case regarding the murder of the Nine-Tails Vale Alderman. Trucy told her that Jinxie would have come to the party, but she was helping her father prepare for a wrestling match. It was all the same to Simon, as frankly, that girl kind of creeped him out, but he thanked her for the thought regardless.

Simon went to refill his sushi when he saw Pearl moving to feed Taka the fish portion of her own sushi. "Ah, Pearly... I would be careful, Taka doesn't much like other peo-" Taka ate the fish from Pearl's hand and affectionately nibbled her fingers. Simon chuckled. "I suppose he has taken to you just fine."

Pearl laughed and smiled at Simon. "You're silly, Mr. Blackquill. Animals tend to love me!" She pet Taka, who thoroughly reveled in the attention from the young girl.

"He's growing soft, I see." Simon smirked and finished restocking his plate.

"Attention one and all!" Trucy yelled, out of sight. "It is time... for the magic show!" Athena and Apollo threw open the curtains on either side of the stage, and Simon made his way back to the couch. "This show is dedicated to Mr. Simon! Hurrah for him not being a jailbird anymore!"

"Trucy..." Phoenix appeared to be sweating slightly, but Simon laughed.

"For my first trick..." Trucy held up a bright blue scarf. "Athena, m'lady, can you see through this scarf?"

"Nope!" Athena threw up a peace sign.

"Excellent!" She showed the audience both sides of the scarf, showing that there was nothing attached to it. She straightened her arms as she grasped the center of the scarf and lifted it up, a dove flying out. The audience ooh'd and ahh'd at the feat, and Simon found himself rather impressed, as he couldn't tell how she'd done it.

Taka squawked and flew after the dove. "Taka, no!" Simon yelled as the hawk grasped the dove in its talons. Trucy screamed, and Gumshoe and Miles jumped up. "Taka! Release!" Taka voiced the hawk equivalent of a grumble and released the dove, unharmed. The dove flew back to Trucy, visibly shaken.

"My apologies, Trucy. Doves are natural prey for hawks. It slipped my mind, as Taka normally eats fish and rodents only." Clearly trying not to cry, Trucy nodded as if she accepted the apology. Simon felt awful. "I have an idea," Simon said after a moment. "May I show you a magic trick?"

"Y-You know magic?" Trucy exclaimed. Athena blushed and turned away, walking toward Gumshoe, who looked a little concerned.

Simon smiled. "I know _a_ magic trick," he clarified. Turning to Phoenix, he asked, "Have you a zip tie by any chance?" Phoenix nodded and retrieved one from the office kitchen. "Trucy, please tighten the tie around my wrists as tightly as you can." Trucy followed the request, and Simon followed up by putting the end of the tie between his teeth and pulling as tightly as possible. He ensured that the tie lock was located between his wrists and hit the tie against his stomach, opening his elbows upon impact and allowing his hands to spring away from his body.

The zip tie flew off his wrists and landed on the floor and Trucy squealed with delight. "How did you do that?"

Simon smiled. _That seemed to have worked. _"I would be happy to show you it, but of course, only you. A master magician should keep her secrets close to her heart." Trucy nodded vigorously and Phoenix went to grab some more zip ties, and a pair of scissors, just in case. The two spent a good fifteen minutes in the corner until Trucy could do the trick as well. Beaming, she showed Clay and Apollo, who politely clapped when she managed to do it on the first try.

"Thank you," Phoenix said quietly to Simon, who shook his head.

"I should have paid more attention. I apologize for traumatizing Trucy, Wright-dono."

It was Phoenix's turn to shake his head. "I disagree. Trucy learned an important lesson to be aware of potential safety issues with her magic, and she learned a new trick, thanks to your mentorship."

_Mentorship. _Simon didn't know how to respond to that. "I am happy to have helped, even if I was partially responsible for the problem," he finally said, but spent the rest of the evening periodically pensive, mulling over the word.

As the party came to a close, people began leaving, wishing Simon the best of luck and thanking him for his service, both in and out of prison. Simon graciously thanked them for coming. Soon, it was only Phoenix and Athena with Simon, after Miles left with Trucy and Pearl. Taka had flown out the window in order to find a mid-night snack.

"I'll be in my office a moment, then I'll head out. Lock up if you don't leave before I do." Smiling, Phoenix left the two alone as Athena cleaned up the remaining decorations (she would not let Simon help her, so he begrudgingly sat on the couch).

Simon coughed uncomfortably and stood. "Sit down!" Athena barked, and Simon, wide-eyed, sat back down.

"Cykes-dono..." Simon coughed again, reaching into his coat. "Athena..." Athena turned quickly to him, not used to hearing him say her first name. "I have a... I have a present for you, in commemoration of... of your name being cleared. My life wasn't the only one saved that day, after all. This party... it should have also been for you."

Athena turned pink. "Oh, no," she said, suddenly flustered. "I mean, I wasn't the one in prison. I-"

"You were also a prisoner, though of a different sort. I know this. We have spoken about it."

Athena put down the streamers she was holding and grabbed her elbow in true Athena style. "Yes, well-"

"Athena." Simon stood and pulled the box out of his coat, walking toward her. "It is not much, and perhaps it is silly, but I have a gift for you." He held it out, and Athena pulled on the ribbon, smiling slightly at the colors, allowing the box to stay in Simon's hands. _Perhaps she is afraid of dropping it. I don't need Widget to tell me she is nervous. It is written all over her face. _Neither of them noticed Phoenix sneak out and coyly dim the lights, allowing the moonlight to filter in through the windows.

"Wh-what is it?" she asked, but Simon merely nodded at the box, and she slowly opened it.

Inside was a bracelet. It had a silver chain, which appeared almost as if it had been anodized to appear somewhat black. There was a charm shaped like a bird in the center of the item. Wide-eyed, Athena picked the bracelet up, turning it over in her hands.

"It... is a blackbird." Athena looked up at him, and he suddenly could not meet her eyes. "Blackbirds... they symbolize the unknown. They are able to unveil that which is hidden, much like your own ability to read emotions. There is light, and there is dark, and the blackbird has the ability to find meaning in both. You... have been instrumental in my own growth as a person, and I find you... helpful... in my own journey to make sense of life outside of prison."

"It's... beautiful..." Athena unclasped the bracelet and held it out to Simon. "Could you...?" Simon took the bracelet and gently placed it around Athena's left wrist. "I love... it. I really love it, Simon..."

Simon felt his voice catch in his throat, and he felt a slight pang of guilt. "I am glad you like it. I thought it might be silly, considering..." He glanced at the streamers and smiled. "...considering everyone pairs me with birds."

Athena blushed. "I'm sorry, I thought-"

"-no it's fine-"

"-I just thought it would be cute-"

"-it was..."

The two fell silent, Simon's right hand still on Athena's wrist. The left had fallen back to his side. The past few weeks had been so different than they usually had been. Suddenly Simon felt stupid for getting the bracelet for her. It was too sentimental, too close. He felt naked, too close to another human being, unprepared. He could never have with Athena what he saw others have, and he felt guilty for even wanting that in the first place. _What's wrong with me?_ Athena moved toward him, wrapping her right arm around his waist and resting her face on his chest. Simon began to panic._ She can feel my emotions. She will know. I cannot linger here. _Simon backed away, allowing her wrist to finally fall. Athena looked at him, confusion in her eyes.

"Tomorrow is a work day, Cykes-dono," Simon smirked, destroying in less than a second the atmosphere of the past few minutes. "I should rest so that I may be at my peak performance. You should as well."

"Simon..."

Widget was turning blue, and guilt hit Simon like a truck. He did not let any of that show outwardly. "I will help you clean, and you may not contradict me there. Then I will walk you home and see you at some point tomorrow, I am sure of it."

Athena nodded, but was quiet the remainder of the evening. Simon caught her running her fingers along her left wrist several times during the walk home and tried to convince himself that she was simply getting used to the bracelet. _She will be tired of it after long and remove it, I am sure._

After Simon dropped Athena off at her apartment and they said their goodbyes, Athena sighed deeply and plopped herself on her bed._ Why did he back off? _she asked herself over and over again. She took her glove off and changed into her pajamas. Athena considered taking the bracelet off, but decided against it, running her fingers along the chain as she laid back in bed. Under the light of the moon, she watched it glint and gleam. _A blackbird..._

Simon, on the other hand, walked into his apartment with a heavy heart. He'd had a moment, perhaps, where he could have felt a connection with someone, had he allowed it. Simon was swimming in unfamiliar waters, however. Perhaps he would have to visit Aura tomorrow. As much as he loathed to admit it, his sister knew more about the heart than she did, having loved and lost more than he had with Metis's death. He would never hear the end of it, but he needed her advice. Despondent, Simon didn't bother changing out of his clothes. He simply fell into his bed and buried his face into his pillow, feeling like the stupidest man to have ever lived.


	4. Chapter 4

Simon walked into the detention center and was immediately let in after signing in without having to identify himself. Everyone knew the prosecutor and his colorful sister. Simon they knew, of course, because he had been in prison for seven years. Aura they knew because of how loud she was.

Aura was led into the visitation room and the guards on both Simon's and Aura's sides of the mirror stepped outside to give them some privacy. Aura looked good, despite her status as a prisoner. Her purple hair was down, reaching to the middle of her back, still curled into two sections. As they had done with Simon, Aura had been allowed to keep her clothing, minus her utility belt, much to Aura's chagrin. They had also not allowed Clonco to come with her, despite the robot's surprising desire to be with Aura. (When asked why he wanted to come along, he said simply, "So she can use me like she used to.")

"Why hello there, dear brother," Aura said lazily as she sat in her chair. She pulled her hair behind her ears and crossed her arms, smirking.

"Hello, Aura. How are you doing?"

Aura shrugged. "As well as I can do, I suppose. Clay, Apollo, and Solomon brought Clonco in the other day, and that dumb thing is as goofy as ever. Actually hugged me." She chuckled.

_She does seem happier than before Athena's and my names were cleared,_ Simon thought to himself.

"So..."

"Yes, Aura?"

Aura rolled her eyes. "Well, you generally only visit me once a month, and you just came here two weeks ago. So I'm assuming you want to talk to me about something."

Simon felt a pang of guilt. "...Ah. You are perceptive, as usual." More silence followed. Simon tapped on the table with his index finger, then began lightly tracing crescent moons.

Aura sighed, obviously growing impatient. "What's wrong?"

"May we walk outside?" Simon was referring to the courtyard used for exercising. It would be empty around this time of day and would feel less restrictive than the room they were in right now. Simon felt incredibly nervous about this conversation.

Aura nodded. "Feeling nostalgic?"

Simon shrugged and called the guards in. They gave them permission to go outside, so the two were led deeper into the complex and out into a courtyard. Aura was handed a coat, which she graciously accepted. He was pleased to see that the small garden he had petitioned for was still there and taken care of, even without him around.

The two began walking the perimeter of the court. It was a beautifully sunny day, but it was still December, and thus still rather chilly, with a dusting of snow on the ground. "I... am unsure of how to begin. It is not an emergency or dire situation, but I am at a loss for words."

"Simon."

He cleared his throat. "It's about... Athena."

Aura raised an eyebrow, indicating he should continue.

"I have noticed that I feel... differently, lately. I always enjoy spending time with her, but lately... I have spent much time thinking about her when she is not there. Logically, I know what this means, but..." Simon tugged on his freshly-cut hair, a nervous habit from when he was much younger.

Aura did her best to hide her smirk. He did look a lot younger than he used to, especially with this lovesick puppy shtick he had going on. "But you don't want to like the little princess, do you?"

Simon grimaced. "She hates it when you call her that."

Aura laughed. "Actually, no she doesn't. She did when I called her that with malice, when I thought she'd..." Aura's eyes lowered and she cleared her throat. "But now that we're friends again, she loves that I call her that."

"Wait... You're friends?" Simon suddenly felt a lot more nervous.

"Oh, sure, she comes in every two weeks or so. Sometimes weekly. One day the judge even allowed her to take me out to ice cream. Supervised, of course." Aura smiled a sickly sweet smile, and the color drained from Simon's face. "She talks about you a lot, you know." She began mimicking Athena, complete with Athena's signature hands-clasped-under-her-chin. "'Oh, Simon said this the other day!' 'You wouldn't _believe _the joke Simon told me!' 'Simon showed me some pictures I drew for him that he said you kept for him. What's that? You don't remember having any pictures like that? I wonder where he found them then!' It's all so _incredibly cute_."

Simon turned toward the door. "Perhaps I should go-"

Aura grabbed the arm of Simon's coat. "Oh calm down. I won't tell her any of this." Aura waited for Simon to decide to continue walking with her, then smiled again. "So what's the deal? She seems head over heels for you, even if she's never said anything, and you're fully admitting right now that you have a bona fide crush on her."

"Well... I... got her a bracelet."

"That's usually a good idea."

"I went to give it to her, and we were alone..."

"...And..."

"I wanted to..." Simon looked away, suddenly incredibly embarrassed. _This was a bad idea. You're so incredibly stupid._

Aura must have noticed Simon's face, as her own softened. "You wanted to what? Kiss her? Tell her? Simon, it's normal to be hesitant. Especially someone who has been through what you've been through. Of course all of this is new and scary, but it's not that bad." She felt a little hypocritical saying that, but it was true.

"I got her a bracelet, and it meant a lot to me when I picked it out. But then I began to second guess myself. It was had a blackbird on it, and it's very beautiful if I may say so myself, but I felt so stupid standing there with this bracelet. And then she had me put it on her wrist, and I didn't want to let go of her hand... Ugh. This is obnoxious."

"Simon, continue. Please."

Simon sighed and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he began again. "Well, I thanked her for her help. And I told her what the bracelet meant. And then things were quiet, and we stood there together, moonlight streaming into the room and reflecting off her eyes and earring... She was so beautiful-gods this sounds stupid-and then she hugged me, and I panicked."

"You panicked?"

"I... didn't want her to know."

A flash of understanding crossed Aura's face. "You didn't want her to read your emotions."

Simon nodded. "I separated myself from her, and overcompensated in pretending everything was normal."

"Ugh..."

Simon sighed. "I don't know if I'm romantically interested in her or if I just want the type of friendship that Justice-Dono and Terran have-"

Aura nearly choked. "Wait. Wait wait wait."

Simon looked confused. "Yes?"

"You want what Apollo and Clay have?" Simon nodded, slowly. Aura burst out laughing and slapped Simon on the back. "Simon... Simon. If you want what Apollo and Clay have... You want what you want with Athena. Are you that thick?"

Simon slowly put two and two together. "...Oh." _Now she knows I'm an idiot. _"I... I am just not sure if it is appropriate."

It was Aura's turn to be confused. "Appropriate? How? Because of your jobs?"

Simon shook his head. "No, because... well, I knew her when she was very young, and there is an age difference, and you and Metis..."

Aura slapped Simon on the back again, this time knocking him off balance. "Simon, she's an adult, as are you. The little princess is capable of making her own decision in that regard. As for me and Metis... Well, it is a little awkward, I suppose, but I never told Metis how I feel, and Metis wasn't into women. Athena knows all that."

"She... knows...?" _This is not getting any better_, Simon thought frantically to himself. "That makes this that much more awkward."

Aura sighed as they turned the corner. "Simon. Listen to me. The girl clearly has a crush on you. She's over the moon about you. I don't need that damn talking necklace or her fancy mood matrix shit Metis made for her in order to figure that out. I have a feeling you know it too, you're just being stupid. And I don't think Metis would kill you for dating her daughter, especially not after you almost died for her. ...Simon?"

Simon was silent for a moment, finally stopping in his tracks. Finally, he mumbled, "I don't know. Perhaps it is too risky."

Aura placed a hand on Simon's shoulder, and after a few moments, gave him a hug. Simon was completely taken aback, having not been hugged by his sister in roughly eight years, but he returned the embrace. They stood like that for a few minutes, while Simon awkwardly looked around, wondering what Aura was doing, but appreciating the comfort.

Finally, Aura pulled away. "You see how easy that was for me, Simon? I haven't hugged you in nearly a decade. And yet, I reached out to you, and you returned the gesture. Because for as much shit as I give you, you're my brother, and I love you. I know you love me, as well."

"...I do."

"So you have feelings for Athena. If I had access to any of my accounts right now, I would bet you several hundred dollars she has feelings for you too. So, dammit Simon, don't make the mistake I did." Aura reached under her glasses to wipe away a tear. "Tell her how you feel, and even if somehow I'm completely wrong-though I never am, let's face it-" (Simon wanted to remind Aura that she had thought Athena had killed her mother, but decided against it) "-and she doesn't feel anything for you, at least it's on the table, and you don't have to wonder for the rest of your life what that would have looked like. ...You don't have to spend your nights making up scenarios for how happy you two could have been together and how you should have been there to protect her and..." Aura clearly wasn't talking about Simon and Athena anymore, and was sinking to the ground as she continued to wipe tears away.

Simon caught her before she was able to sit down completely and the two sat, crouched, on the ground while Aura began sobbing uncontrollably. He felt incredibly guilty in that moment, realizing he had come to complain about telling someone he cared about them, when Aura would never have that chance.

After a few minutes, Aura gathered herself, sniffling, and pulled away from Simon. She dusted herself off and coughed a few times, shivering. Simon stood and dusted himself off as well.

"Look, just do it. Okay?"

Simon attempted to smile. "I will, for you."

"Don't do it for me. Do it for _you_."

The guards came into the courtyard to tell them visitation was over, and Simon and Aura walked back into the compound. Aura gave Simon one last hug and whispered in his ear, "Stop feeling guilty for things you aren't responsible for. Seven years is long enough to do that." As the guards led her away, she said casually, "Give Taka some fish for me." Simon nodded and was led out to the front lobby, where he signed out.

He had a lot to think about.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wait, let me get this straight. Simon gave you this bracelet and it was all romantic and stuff and then he just broke away and was mean again?" Apollo was scratching his head. "That doesn't really make sense." He cracked his neck, still feeling the g-force simulation Clay and he had done earlier this morning. He almost wished there was some other horrible training method lawyers went through that he could subject Clay to. _Maybe I'll make him take the Bar_, he thought vengefully.

Athena nodded, still feeling a bit slighted. "Well, not mean really, but yeah. I could have sworn that was what his heart wanted..." She was sitting on the kitchen counter, feet swinging gently, trying not to hit the cabinets so Phoenix wouldn't yell at her later. She was still really confused about what had happened last night. It had been a sour ending to an otherwise amazing day.

"And what you wanted," Apollo added. He appeared to be rather displeased, with his arms crossed, leaning against the end of the counter. Clay, on the other hand, looked nonplussed, standing beside Apollo sipping on coffee. He actually appeared, though empathetic with Athena's plight, to be enjoying the discussion.

"...Yeah, I guess I did." Athena buried her head in her hands. "Ugh, I feel so awkward now!" Taking her heads out of her hands, she looked at the two men on her right. "Is it weird that I like him?"

"No," said Clay at the same time Apollo answered, "Yes."

Responding to Clay's dirty look, Apollo clarified his position. "You like a guy that is like ten years older than you and was in prison for seven years because everyone thought he killed your mom. I'm not saying it's _wrong_, but yes, it _is_ a little weird."

"Well when you put it that way..." Clay sighed and walked to put his coffee cup, now empty, in the sink. He gave Apollo another dirty look as he rejoined him.

Apollo ignored him and looked straight at Athena. "I'm actually more worried that you're upset with how last night turned out."

It was Athena's job to give Apollo a dirty look. "Well wouldn't you be upset if Clay did something like that?"

Apollo nodded. "Yes, because that would be uncharacteristic of him." He glanced at his boyfriend, who merely tilted his head. Looking back at Athena, he continued. "But Simon is _always _like that. He always has a wall up. It seems like he's always kind of been that away, and prison made it worse, according to what Aura told Phoenix after his name was cleared, and then again at her trial."

"So what if that's what he normally does?" Clay asked, running his hands through his hair and then shrugging. "That doesn't make it any less frustrating."

"No, it doesn't, but if you can't handle him now... I mean, assuming you guys dated, would you be okay with him doing that when you wanted to be close, or talk? When something was bothering you?"

Athena stared at the ground, her legs dangling lifelessly. "He's not always like that," she mumbled.

"He seems to be like that when it matters most."

_Ouch_, Athena thought.

Apollo frowned. "I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just don't want you to get your heart broken because you fell for something Simon can't be."

"Oh..."

"To be fair," Clay said, putting his left arm around Apollo's waist, "That's what my parents said about me dating Apollo." Athena looked at Clay in surprise, and Clay looked at his boyfriend and smiled. "He's not the most positive-minded person, though he is realistic, and my parents didn't want him to make me cynical, even if they did love him to death as my best friend. So they didn't want me to date him, and they think he's amazing! I think he's still a grouch pot, but I also like to think that he's less of one than when we started dating." Clay chuckled as Apollo turned red.

"I guess that's true," Apollo mumbled from the side of his mouth, his hair falling in his face. Clay laughed and reached over with his other hand and smoothed it back into place.

"I don't want to change him," Athena said thoughtfully after a few moments. "I just want him to be happy, and I want to understand him. I just wish I knew what he was thinking."

"Don't you, though?" Apollo asked. "I mean, you can hear his emotions."

Athena shook her head and jumped down from the counter, turning toward Clay and Apollo. "I can read his emotions, but that doesn't mean I know what he's thinking. I can infer, but I can't completely accurately predict. Remember during his trial when I was able to tell that he was lying about how he felt about mom's murder? I didn't know why he was hiding his emotions, or what had happened. I knew he was sad when he said he stabbed my mom, but I didn't know he was lying to protect me, because he thought that I had accidentally killed her. That's how it always works, no matter who I'm talking to."

Apollo nodded. "I see. So you know he panicked and backed off, but you don't know why."

Athena nodded and grabbed her arm. "It could be because he legitimately felt uncomfortable with me being near him, or him realizing how I feel and not wanting to give me false signals, or him liking me, or any number of reasons..."

"Well, _I_ think he likes you," Clay responded confidently, putting his hands on his hips and smiling. Apollo sighed, and Clay rolled his eyes. "Don't you start! I said that at the party."

Apollo made a face. "When? You didn't say that to me."

Clay sighed. "Yes I did! I told you I could see what was happening, but you were clueless as usual." Another eye roll. He was enjoying this too much, perhaps.

Apollo's brow furrowed, but then his face showed recognition. "Is _that _what you were talking about...?" Apollo looked back at Athena, befuddled. He frowned when Clay laughed.

"W-what...?" Athena's eyes darted between the two of them. Was there some inside joke she was missing?

"During the party, Simon put his arm around you, and you hugged him really close. He didn't seem so concerned about you two being close then." Clay tapped his finger on his chin. "So that, in my opinion, would rule out him not wanting to give you false signals, or feeling gross about you being near him or something." Clay held up his pointer finger. "So that leaves, out of probable reasons, him genuinely liking being around you as the reason he did that and was okay with you holding onto him like that. Furthermore, this makes his movements later a _little _more understandable."

Apollo frowned. "...How, exactly?"

Clay beamed. "Well, I'm no psychologist, but I _do _understand people pretty well. I would say... that during the party, with everyone around, it probably wouldn't _seem _as obvious if you two hung around one another. He could be close with you without you really paying attention to it."

"I did tell him his heart was practically singing... but I thought that was because of the party..."

"It probably was," Apollo tried to say, but was cut off.

"When you were together later, there was no cover up for you being that close, especially with the romantic undertones. Overtones. Whatever-tones." Apollo sighed, but Clay continued. "So that could have made him nervous. There was no party to mask how he was feeling."

"So you're saying... Maybe he _does _like me?" Athena was trying her best not to look hopeful, especially with that look on Apollo's face.

"_I_ think so, and I'm rarely wrong about these things." Clay looked slyly over at Apollo, who blushed. "Just ask him."

Apollo sighed yet again. "Look, maybe what Ace Attorney Clay over here is saying is true. But that doesn't take away from what I said earlier. If it is true, Simon still isn't able to tell you that himself, and that's a legitimate problem."

"Maybe he was trying to, with the bracelet," Clay offered, but Apollo shook his head.

"When it came down to it, he couldn't be open about how he felt. He panicked, and pulled away. Assuming that means what Clay thinks it means, that is a serious problem. I think that especially someone in Athena's position, who can feel emotions... It would hurt to be in a relationship where you knew something was going on but couldn't get the truth." No argument came from Clay this time. "I'm not saying you shouldn't like Simon, but I'm not sure he's the best person for you to date. Maybe he'll open up, but until then... I dunno, Thena. I just wouldn't want you to get hurt because you have more information than the rest of us but still not enough to feel completely at ease. Just look at how you're feeling right now." Suddenly, Apollo regretted being so earnest all the time. He always seemed to be the bearer of bad news or unpopular opinions.

Athena stared at the ground. "I get what you're saying... I'll... have to think about it. But until then..." She played with her bracelet.

"Don't worry about it," Apollo said, reaching out to grab her wrist and hold her bracelet up to the light. "It's a pretty bracelet, from a beloved friend. You can be proud he considers you someone he appreciates and likes having around."

"Am I... interrupting something?" Miles Edgeworth had just walked through the front door and was holding several manila folders.

Apollo jerked back his hand and rubbed the back of his head. "Ha... no, no. Just having a short break."

"Hmph." Miles tapped the folders on his hand. "Is Mr. Wright around?"

Athena shook his head. "He, Trucy, and Pearls went out to lunch. I think they should be back soon. Wanna wait in his office or out here or something? Want some coffee?"

Miles was still eyeing the space between Athena and Apollo, and Apollo found himself taking a large step backward. "I prefer tea, if you have any." With that, he sat at the kitchen table and placed the manila folders down. No one said a thing as Athena poured him some chai tea and Miles sat there, sipping it, waiting for Phoenix's eventual return.


	6. Chapter 6

"We're back!" Phoenix called as he opened the door, hanging his jacket on the coat rack. Trucy and Pearl sped into the room, giggling, and jumped onto the couch. The two groaned in unison as their full stomachs reacted to the quick movements, and they laughed some more.

"Those burgers were so good!" Trucy exclaimed, presumably to Athena and Apollo, who were leaning against opposite ends of the counter, awkwardly. Clay had gone to the restroom. "You wouldn't belie-Miles!" Just as quickly as she had jumped onto the couch, she leapt off and rushed toward the prosecutor, throwing her arms desperately around him.

"Ack! Trucy, hello," Miles responded, trying to ensure his tea didn't spill on him or the folders. He set the cup down and returned the hug. "Are you prepared for your show this weekend?"

Trucy let go of the prosecutor and nodded, placing her hands proudly on her hips. "I've been practicing that trick that the bird guy taught me! Uhhh, what was his name again?"

"Simon," Miles responded. He pretended not to see Athena turn red and look away. He also pretended not to see Widget turn dark blue. "He was very pleased with how quick of a study you are. Perhaps sometime you can show him a few tricks as well."

"I'd love that! Could I, Daddy?"

Phoenix laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't see why not," he responded. He was a little more obvious about noticing Athena's sudden desire to stare at her shoes. He furrowed his brow and looked at Apollo for some kind of explanation, but the defense attorney also seemed to be avoiding his gaze. Apollo, at least, seemed to be more uncomfortable with Miles than anything. Turning to his friend, he asked, "So, what's up?"

Miles coughed and stood up, grabbing the manilla folders he had brought with him. "I have a few cases I would like to discuss with you."

"Ah, yes, let's go talk about that, then." The two walked into Phoenix's office, pulling the door shut behind them as Miles handed him one of the folders.

"What's wrong, Thena?" Pearl asked, walking into the kitchen area. Clay walked out of the bathroom, rubbing his hands on his pants to dry them further.

"Uh, boy problems I guess." Athena sighed and looked at the ceiling. Widget started to say something, but she quickly wrapped her hand around it, muffling the noise. She was getting pretty good at predicting when he would say something embarrassing.

"She likes Simon," Clay said matter-of-factly as he walked over to Apollo. Athena shot him a glare and Widget flashed red. "They aren't going to tell anyone, don't worry about it." He smiled warmly, and Athena relented.

"Oh! The bird guy was really nice," Trucy said. Pearl nodded in agreement. "I think you two would be cute together. He's all dark and broody and stuff, but still nice, and you're friendly and bubbly!"

Apollo coughed, trying to hold back laughter. Clay patted him on the back a few times, as if trying to force something out of him. Athena glared at the two of them, but said nothing.

"Have you told him yet?" Trucy asked in that tone only teenage girls can, tugging on Athena's jacket sleeve.

"Eh, no..."

"Well why not?" Pearl asked, walking over to the other side of Athena. "I think he likes you!"

"I said the same thing!" Clay said excitedly, causing Apollo to sigh and put his head in his hand. Clay instinctively moved to smooth his hair back into place.

Athena retold the events of last night, and the girls paid eager attention, grabbing her wrist and examining the bracelet in great detail.

"Oooh, it _is _pretty!" Pearl said, and Trucy agreed. "A guy isn't going to get a girl jewelry unless he likes her."

"Wait a second," Apollo interjected. "I got Trucy a necklace last Christmas, so that's not true."

Trucy shook her head. "That's different, Apollo. We're practically brother and sister. Besides, you're dating Clay."

"Totally different," Pearl agreed. The two girls pulled Athena over to the couch and sat on either side of her as they discussed what Athena should do next, leaving Clay and Apollo to stare blankly ahead.

"I don't get it," Apollo said.

Clay laughed and patted him on the back. "One day, when you're old enough, I'll explain it to you."

Apollo couldn't help but laugh and playfully hit Clay. "Oh, quit it already!"

Inside the main office, Miles and Phoenix sat in comfortable chairs, discussing some upcoming cases. One in particular had piqued Phoenix's interest.

"So this man was smothered in his sleep, and they think it's his wife that did it. She's saying she's innocent."

Miles nodded.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's questionable. If I'm honest, it could go either way. This is why I'd like you to be on the case." Miles shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up being a really odd situation."

The defense attorney nodded. "I'll have my team look into it."

Miles stood. "Speaking of your team, I'm surprised you allow for intra-office relationships."

Phoenix frowned at Miles. "Huh?"

The prosecutor raised an eyebrow and glanced toward the door. "Relationships between members of the same office."

"Right, I get that. Who are you talking about?" _Surely he doesn't mean Apollo and Athena. That's the only pair that would make sense..._

"When I walked into the agency earlier, Apollo was clutching Athena's hand. I thought..."

Phoenix forced a laugh. "Oh! Ha... uh, no, I don't think they're together."

Miles laughed and shook his head. "If you say so." He turned and walked to the door.

"I'll look into it, don't worry. But I don't think there's anything to worry about." He opened the door for Miles and the two walked out into the kitchen. Phoenix saw Miles to the front door and waved goodbye as he closed the door. Once he had definitely left, Phoenix turned to the group. "So. Miles seems to be under the impression I need to keep an eye on my ship, lest other types of ship set sail."

"...What?" Apollo scratched his head.

"It's an internet thing," Clay responded. "What ship does he think is setting sail?"

"Apparently he walked in on someone holding hands?" His eyes darted between Apollo and Athena.

Athena jumped up from the couch and moved toward Phoenix. "It wasn't like that!"

"So... you _were _holding hands. I don't care personally, I just figured... Clay... might mind." Certainly it was too early to suggest he thought a certain samurai prosecutor would also mind, very much so in fact.

"I was showing him the bracelet Simon got me," Athena insisted, shoving her wrist into Phoenix's face. Trucy and Pearl got up from the couch and stood on either side of Phoenix so they could get a better view of the action.

Gently, Phoenix wrapped his hand around hers and lowered it to chest level, then looked closely at the bracelet. _So this is what was going on last night. I wonder if that's _all _that went on last night._

"And that's when Miles walked in," Apollo said casually, yawning.

Phoenix saw his hands wrapped around Athena's and let go quickly, turning pink. "I see."

Clay made his way over to the two defense attorneys and patted Phoenix on the back. "Aren't you going to ask her if she made out with Simon last night?"

Widget turned a bright shade of red. "Clay! You know that's not what happened!"

Phoenix grinned. "What _did _happen after I left?"

Athena paused, and Widget turned yellow. "Wait... when _did _you leave?"

"I'm assuming I left when he started to give you that," Phoenix responded, pointing at the bracelet. "It looked like I wouldn't want to be there in a few minutes, so..."

Athena huffed in response, crossed her arms, and looked away. "Well nothing happened. He gave me the bracelet and we cleaned up and left."

"...But you wanted something to happen."

"AM I THAT OBVIOUS?" Athena yelled, throwing her hands into the air and turning around to plop on the couch, face first.

"Daddy, that was a little mean," Trucy said, patting Phoenix's arm.

Phoenix suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and walked over to the couch, moving Athena's legs to the side so he could sit down. Athena slid off the couch and sat on the floor, her elbow on the couch, propping up her head.

"I'm sorry," Phoenix said. "What happened?" He listened as Athena retold the night's events for what felt like the hundredth time. When she was done, Phoenix sighed. "I see."

"Daddy, what should Athena do?"

Phoenix laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "You're asking _me_?" A glare from Trucy told him that yes, she was indeed asking him, and he sighed, placing his hands on his lap. "I don't know Simon well enough to understand the situation fully, but I have noticed over the past couple of months that he began looking at you differently. The more I watched, the more I wondered if, well, perhaps there may be something there that wasn't there before."

"So you think he could like me?"

Phoenix nodded. "Apollo has a point too, though. I would see how Simon reacts to what happened last night, and go from there. Of course, I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to dating..."

"You're going on a date this weekend, though," Pearl objected.

Phoenix turned an uncharacteristic shade of red and looked down. "I don't know that... I'd call it that."

"Hmph. _I_ would," Trucy responded, and the two girls walked over to the kitchen area.

After a few moments of silence and quizzical looks between Apollo, Athena, and Clay, Phoenix coughed. "Anyway, I don't know what to tell you about Simon, other than to be careful and not jump into anything. He just got out of prison not that long ago and still hasn't quite adjusted to outside life. Besides, he went in pretty young... I don't even know if he's had a girlfriend before. It might be a mixture of that and just general weirdness about seeing someone you consider a good friend in a different light and realizing that they might actually be returning those feelings." Phoenix shrugged. "I don't even know if you should listen to me," he laughed. "I suck with relationships."

Athena turned her head and stared at the couch seat. Though her friends were nothing but supportive, if not outright encouraging, she couldn't help but feel she was completely off. There was no way Simon could like her. She was totally misreading the situation, she was sure of it. _Could I be losing my touch? And if I am, what use am I as a lawyer?_ The thought was too heavy to bear. "Can I take the day off?" Her words flew out, as if on impulse.

"Uh... sure. Our real work starts Monday anyway. That's what Edgeworth was here about. Apollo, you can go too if you want, after you clean the toilet." Apollo groaned. "I was just thinking there wasn't much left to do today, so yeah, go out and have some fun.."

Athena quietly stood and walked toward the door. "See you guys," she mumbled, and headed outside.

"She's... taking this pretty hard," Clay observed.

Phoenix sighed. "She'll figure it out." _At least I hope so._


	7. Chapter 7

Simon searched through the aisles, trying to remember where the applesauce was at this grocery store. This was not his regular store. In fact, he'd only been here once or twice, with Athena leading the way each time, but this happened to be along the way to his house from the prison, so he figured he'd pick up a few things. _It's not with the fruit, _he thought to himself. _Perhaps among the canned goods...  
><em>  
>He jolted to a halt as he rounded the corner.<em> Shit.<em> Athena stood several feet in front of him, lazily searching through the sushi. _She looks upset, _he thought, but no matter how he urged himself to move toward her, he couldn't. Instead, he stood there, mouth slightly open. A woman pushing a child in a shopping cart gave him an odd look as she passed, reaching around him for a bag of sour cream and onion chips.

Athena picked up a box of Tako and a box of Kani and put them into the basket she was carrying. She glanced to her right and did a double take. Simon was standing there, not saying anything... or moving, for that matter. _Great, the last person I wanted to see right now._

"Simon...?" Athena managed to ask, looking at him with quizzical eyes. "This isn't where you normally shop."

"I... was looking for applesauce." _You dolt! Blurting out the most inane-_

Athena looked around. "In the cold section?"

_Shit. _Somehow Simon managed to compose himself and stood more naturally. "I had been searching the fruits section and couldn't remember where the canned foods were. I thought they would perhaps be there."

Athena sighed and walked toward him. "No, it's by the jelly for some reason. Here, let me show you." She went to grab Simon's arm, but decided against it and walked past him.

This did not go unnoticed by Simon, who furrowed his brow for a split second. _Perhaps this is a mistake,_ he began to think, but his sister's words echoed in his head.

_"Dammit Simon, don't make the same mistake I did... Tell her how you feel... so you don't have to wonder for the rest of your life what that would have looked like..."_

"Athena..." Simon began, unsure if this was the best time. _This may be the biggest mistake I make in my entire life... That was melodramatic, wasn't it?... That was definitely melodramatic._

"Yes?" _That was too quick of a response, dammit._

_Just breathe. _"When I was in the clink, I helped prosecute the murderer of a local restaurant owner's son..." A few moments of awkward silence passed. Surely Athena was wondering what his point was. "When I was released, he offered me a meal on the house."

"That's cool." Athena was not sure where he was going with this. "What restaurant was that?" She bent down and grabbed some applesauce from the bottom shelf, handing it to Simon, who quickly tried to look like he wasn't staring. Athena felt incredibly stiff around him, but she was also still a bit burned from last night. He was definitely acting strange lately, alternating between friendly and almost mean.

Simon coughed slightly as he grabbed the applesauce from her. "Troye Druzey," he responded.

"Wait, really? Troye Druzey is the best restaurant in town! Oh, man, you're so lucky. I mean, not lucky that the guy's son died, but dang, I've heard they have Pelmeni that is just... beyond tasty."

Simon took a step closer, trying not to seem obvious. "I was curious as to, ah... whether you would like... I mean to say, I could take a guest if I so chose, and I thought perhaps... you might be interested in, if you were free, perhaps you might be interested in... coming with me... for dinner, of course." _Please let me not be blushing._

"O-oh..." Athena was most definitely blushing, and she looked at the ground. Simon was concerned for a moment, but Widget was green. That was a good sign. Perhaps he was doing something right for once. "I... think that would be nice..."

Internally, Simon huffed with relief. He made an effort to move closer to Athena and gently touch her elbow. _This is how they did it in those stupid donated novels the jail gave us to read, right? No, they shoved women against the wall and kissed them fervently. _He was not so uncouth as to force himself upon a woman, but the idea was appealing, if he were sure it would be reciprocated... "I was thinking, perhaps..."

"...Yes?" Athena looked up at him, and Simon became very aware of how close they were standing.

Simon felt torn between staring into those blue eyes forever and taking a huge step back and making his normal haughty fuss of things. _Fight the urge to leave. Do not mess this up._ "I thought... ah..." He couldn't say it! He couldn't say it, the fool. _Do it._

Athena could tell that Simon was struggling with something, but all she could make out was noise. She would need Widget to understand him better, but now was not the time to pull out his console._ What in seven hells is going on? _Athena tried not to get her hopes up or become overly worried.

"I was wondering if you would be okay with it being a date," he finally blurted out, so fast he wasn't sure Athena understood him. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to run out of the grocery store, applesauce be damned.

"Hell yes!" Widget blurted out, and Athena's eyes widened in horror. She slapped her hands over him, laughing nervously. _Why do I even wear this stupid thing? _she asked herself, knowing the answer. Athena cleared her throat. "I... I think that would be nice..." Widget's muffled voice fought its way out of her hands, though Simon wouldn't be able to understand it. Athena felt her knees give way a bit when Simon smiled; not the arrogant, playful smile he normally wore, but a genuine smile.

"When would you like to go?" Simon could tell Athena was searching for words, and he was feeling more confident thanks to Widget's outburst, so he added, "I was hoping tonight or tomorrow, if that fit with your schedule, but any day would be fine. Your company is worth waiting for." _That was actually fairly smooth. I'm impressed._

"Tonight." She coughed, looking at the ground. _Don't seem _too_ eager, now. _"Tonight would work best. Tomorrow is Trucy's magic show." _There, let him know you have plans. That your life doesn't revolve around him. Jesus, Athena, what are you even saying? He knows that!_

"Ah, yes, she invited me to that as well. Tonight it is, then." Simon suddenly noticed that during their conversation, his hand had found a place to rest right above Athena's elbow. Athena seemed to have noticed it at the same time, as she laughed nervously and looked up at Simon again. It was his turn to blush.

"Excuse me," a man with two children said, as they reached for some crunchy peanut butter behind Simon.

"My apologies," Simon said quickly, stepping out of the way. Incidentally, this put the two of them even closer, and Simon could smell her perfume. Vanilla, perhaps.

"So... Simon... Does this mean you um... Does this mean you like me? Or am I misreading the question?" Athena couldn't believe she was asking the question, but there she was, asking it. Because she can't keep her mouth closed.

This time, Simon couldn't stop himself from falling into old habits. "...Hmph." He took a step back, and immediately regretted it, as a look of confusion washed over Athena's previously smiling face. He closed his eyes and sighed slightly. "I apologize, I-"

"-no, it's fine. I'm sorry, I misread." Athena double checked her basket and began to walk off. _What a stupid question. Stupid, stupid girl._

_Shit. Shit shit shit. Shit!_ "No, Athena, w-wait." Athena kept walking. "Please."

There was something about his tone that made her pause and close her eyes to hear better, something she'd never heard in his voice before. Was it desperation? She couldn't tell. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and allowed her body to be turned around slightly. Movement. A hand on her chin, lifting it. Lips pressed gently against hers. Athena's eyes shot open.

Simon pulled back a few inches and looked her straight in the eyes. "I apologize if that was too forward, and unwanted." _I told myself I wasn't uncouth and yet here I am... _Athena's free hand slapped around Widget, and Simon tried to suppress a smile. "I... do... like you, Athena. It has... been a difficult realization for me." Simon's gaze turned downward, and he straightened so he was taller than her again. "This is... difficult for me, as I... have never had a girlfriend." Quickly, he added, "Not that I am presumptuous enough to think we're dating, I just-you know-I mean I've never-um..."

Athena smiled, then began laughing. Simon looked confused, but Athena continued to giggle. "You're... really cute when you don't know what to say."

Simon blushed. "I... will take that as a compliment." Moments of happily awkward silence passed between the two of them, and Simon wondered if she would say she liked him too. She seemed like she did, at least with the blushing and slapping her hand over Widget and calling him cute, but his self-confidence in this area wasn't nearly at the level of his certainty in the courtroom.

"I suppose... we should both get ready, if we want to eat tonight..." Athena offered, and Simon jerked back to reality.

"Of course. Yes, I shall call Aleksei and ask him to prepare our table." The two walked toward the exit, checking their respective groceries, and walked out together. "Shall I come by your apartment later tonight, say, 7pm?"

"That sounds wonderful." Athena smiled, and Simon smiled in response. "Oh, and Simon?"

"Hm?"

Athena reached over and squeezed his hand once before letting go and taking a few steps away from him. "I like you too." She turned to walk toward her apartment, leaving Simon to stare, wide-eyed, at the ground in disbelief for a few moments before turning to walk toward his house.

Both Athena and Simon smiled all the way home.


	8. Chapter 8

"You want what? WHAT? Ohmygosh yes we will be right over!" Trucy squealed into the office phone, jumping up and down. "I'm so happy for you, Thena!" She slammed the phone down with a purpose and turned to Pearl. "We are going to Athena's house! Now!" For her part, Pearl, wide-eyed, nodded and moved with her toward the door.

"What in seven hells is going on?" Phoenix mumbled as he came back out of his office. Apollo and Clay were just as confused, sitting on the couch, drinking cola. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning the toilet?" He frowned as Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Daddy! Athena has a date!" Trucy rushed to him, pulling his arm, and then met Pearl at the door again. Both were giddy with delight.

"Uh-oh..." Phoenix said, worried she might have randomly asked some guy out to make Simon feel jealous, or to make her feel better about her self, or some other stupid reason.

Trucy pouted. "No, not uh-oh! Simon ran into her at the store and asked her out! It was really cute! They were in the jelly aisle! I mean, that wasn't cute, but the rest of it was!" Pearl sniggered.

"...I see..." Phoenix said, as Clay commented, "That was quick."

Apollo stood, rigid, and said, "Excuse me Athena-chan. Please allow me to take you to dinner. But first, I must acquire grape jelly, for my toast in the morning. Taka-san refuses to eat bread, as he is a carnivore. He likes to eat defense attorneys and doves, as well as the occasional small child. Now that I have my sword back I can kill our own dinner, if you'd like, Athena-kun."

Clay laughed, but then gave Apollo a serious look at pulled him back down onto the couch. "As hilarious as it is to think Athena likes that stick in the mud, he's a cool guy. So be nice."

"A cool guy?" Apollo scoffed. "I mean I like him fine, but he's hardly the epitome of _cool_."

Just as Apollo appeared to be getting ready to imitate Simon again, Clay interrupted. "He was willing to die for Athena when he thought she accidentally killed her mom."

An intense pang of guilt shot through Apollo as he remembered that case, and how he had reacted when he thought Athena had tried to kill Clay. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty cool," he mumbled, suddenly not in the mood to goof off. "I'm going to go clean the toilet." He did his best not to rush to the bathroom.

"Do you need help?" Clay called after him, turning to look at him, aware of the mood change, but unsure of the cause.

"No." A door shut behind him, and the group could hear a sink running and a toilet flushing.

"Well, we need to be off. Athena has to figure out what to wear!" Trucy grinned, pulling Pearl through the door.

"Wait, when are they getting dinner?" Phoenix asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. "It's only 2pm." He looked back at Clay, who simply shrugged in response.

"Well he's picking her up to go to the Troye Druzey or whatever at 7pm, but she wants to talk to us and then we'll help her get ready." Trucy opened the door and smiled. "It'll be great!"

"Wait, Troye Druzey?" Clay looked at Phoenix. "That place is super expensive."

"Hm..." Phoenix tapped his fingers on his chin. "I think Simon helped out with a case with the owner..."

"Yeah," Trucy responded. "His son was murdered, and Simon found the guy who did it. So their meal is free or something."

"Wow. Lucky girl." Clay leaned back on the couch, eyes closed. "Just think of all the great Russian food there. I met a Russian astronaut once, and he actually invited me and Apollo over for dinner. That was an awesome night. I wonder if Apollo remembers that. He did drink a lot of vod-"

"We're gonna go now!" Trucy's impatience was starting to show through her excitement. "Bye!" she and Pearl said, closing the door behind them. The men could hear them squealing as they headed down the street.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me," Phoenix said, sitting down across from Clay, grabbing a cola from the coffee table, and popping it open.

"Nope! I'm gonna help Apollo." Clay made his way into the bathroom, and Phoenix could hear muffled voices as Clay offered to help. Apollo still sounded disgruntled, Phoenix noted, but didn't think much of it.

"I guess I should consider my own 'date' then, on my own..."

Meanwhile, Trucy and Pearl had barely knocked on Athena's door when it swung open. "So glad you're here! I need help. What the heck do you wear to a Russian restaurant?" Widget was glowing bright green, making the girls even more excited to be there.

"Definitely the bracelet!" Pearl responded, and Trucy nodded. The three of them deliberated for quite some time, with Athena trying on several dresses and Trucy and Pearl judging each one on appearance, whether Simon would like it, and appropriateness for a fancy dinner. Generally speaking, all of Athena's outfits got high marks in the first two, making the last category most influential in their decision. Finally, the group decided that Athena should wear a knee-length black strapless dress with a wide blue ribbon tied around her waist. She would let her hair down, but keep the blue ribbon in her hair, and of course wear the bracelet and her earring. Black flats would work best because of her height. She was set! Except...

"What about Widget?" Trucy asked. "It doesn't really... go with your dress. But you don't really seem... you... without it, either."

Pearl frowned. "I think I'd be nervous if I was on a date with someone and their necklace kept talking or making faces at me when I talked."

"Do you feel nervous around Athena though?" Trucy frowned.

Pearl paused for a moment. "I would if I liked her, I think. But I like Widget! So... I don't know."

"I think I'll wear him," Athena decided after thinking on it for a while. "Widget's based on my mom's technology. Or... wait. I think I have a better idea." She rummaged through a jewelry box on her vanity, finally pulling out a golden necklace with a charm shaped like a moon. "I... haven't worn this since the day... since I lost my mom. I think it's time I wore it."

"Oh, Thena..." Pearl responded, and Pearl and Trucy walked over to give her a hug. "I think you'll look beautiful with it."

Athena glanced in the mirror, Widget glowing yellow. "I hope Simon thinks so too."


	9. Chapter 9

Athena was nervously brushing her hair when she heard a knock on the door. She set the brush down and took one last look in the mirror. Memories of a quick kiss in a grocery store brought color to her cheeks and she quickly turned, adjusting herself, and made her way to the door, picking up her purse as she went.

"Right on time," she said, swinging the door open. Her mouth opened slightly as she took the sight of him in. Simon wore a double-breasted peak lapel tuxedo, with cufflinks featuring the Blackquill insignia. The most surprising thing, however, would be the light blue tie Simon was wearing.

"Is it... too much?" Simon asked nervously, noticing Athena's blush when she noticed the tie.

"No," she responded, smiling. She reached over and pulled the tie out so she could examine it closer. "It's really, really cute," she said, resisting the urge to pull on his tie to pull their lips together again. She put the tie back in its place and smiled at him.

SImon shifted his weight anxiously. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful Athena looked, in her strapless dress, with the ribbon the same color as his. Simon chuckled. _It's almost like we're going to prom._ Simon stopped when his eyes made their way to Athena's collarbone, however. At first it was in order to admire the curves along her neck and chest, but quickly he noticed something he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Athena, is that..." he asked, reaching out to fondle her necklace.

Athena smiled more gently now. "Yes... I didn't know if you'd remember it."

"Your mother gave this to you on your eighth birthday. It was before she made Widget, and before the earring was made. I thought you had lost this..."

"Well, I had, for a long time," Athena responded, meeting his hand with hers and moving it down by their waists. She walked out of her door and closed it behind her, locking it. "One day, the clasp broke. Aura offered to fix it for me, and then I didn't see it for a long time. It wasn't until I went back to the Cosmos Space Center that she realized she'd never given it back, so after she was put into prison, she told me where to find it."

Simon laughed as they made their way outside, to where a black car was waiting for them. "I still... find it a bit awkward you two have become fast friends."

"We used to be good friends, all of us, you know?" Athena squeezed Simon's hand as he used the other to open the car door for her. "Thank you," she said, getting into the car.

"Troye Druzey, right?" a familiar voice came from the front of the car. The speaker did not quite pronounce the restaurant's name correctly, but it was still obvious what he said.

"Gumshoe?" Athena laughed.

"I... apologize. I have not yet purchased a vehicle, so Gumshoe was kind enough to offer to drive us." Simon was clearly embarrassed about this, but Athena shrugged.

"It works for me!" she said happily, trying to make Simon feel more comfortable. It _was _a little weird, but certainly not the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her. After all, she was going out on a date with her mom's former apprentice who recently got out of prison and owns a hawk who hates her. Definitely not the weirdest thing that's happened to her, even within the past few days.

Still, the ride was silent, as it was awkward to be too close to one another with Gumshoe driving and babbling along about how much he appreciated the two of them getting together and how it was wonderful Edgeworth and Wright were able to figure out the whole Phantom thing. He made mention that things were getting weird with the Phantom in the detention cell but it was nothing he couldn't handle, _no-sir-ee_. Things were under control. And now that they weren't using the Paynes as often in cases anymore, mistrials were happening less, and really Edgeworth should consider letting them go completely, but he understands that first Edgeworth would want to find suitable replacements, and man does that guy have high standards. Athena nodded along politely as Gumshoe talked about his first date with Maggey and how that was a disaster but of course Maggey is a wonderful woman and understood that things were probably going to get weird, what with the two of them being kind of clumsy. Right, pal? Of course. And after this he'd have to head home to Missile, who has just been such a good dog lately-

"Gumshoe," Simon finally interrupted. "We are here. Thank you so much for the ride," he said through gritted teeth. _Maybe I should have asked Edgeworth-dono instead. That would have probably been more awkward, somehow.  
><em>  
>"Thanks Gumshoe!" Athena called as Simon opened the door for her and she exited the car. Gumshoe waved happily and drove off after reminding Simon he could call at any time and either he or Maggey would be there to pick him up. "He's so cute," Athena said, giggling.<p>

"Cute is a word, I suppose, though not one I would assign to him." Simon frowned. "In any case, I will get us our seats." Together, they walked arm in arm into Troye Druzey.

The inside of the restaurant appeared out of a fairytale, with clapboarded windows and fake ivy crawling up the brick walls. Red curtains with gold details draped across the corners of the rooms, and candlelit chandeliers illuminated the wooden floors and charming tables.

"This... is way different than I expected..." Athena said, adding when she saw who she thought might be the manager, "-but in a good way! It's really pretty."

"Ah, yes, we get this a lot, beautiful woman," the man cheerfully explained. "Simon!" The man clapped his hands together and walked up to Simon, grabbing his right hand and shaking it violently. "I am glad you and beautiful lady were able to come! Yes, sit, I get you best seats in the house!"

"This stunning woman is Athena Cykes, Aleksei. Athena, this is Aleksei, owner of Troye Druzey. Athena tells me you have wonderful Pelmeni." Simon nodded, smiling.

"Athena, you have had Pemeni here?"

Athena blushed slightly. "O-oh, no. I've had it before, I just heard it was really good from Mr. Edgeworth. I've never been here before..."

"Ah yes, Mr. Miles. Yes he is good man. Here is seat, please, let me seat beautiful Athena. You have lovely bracelet, Athena. Did Simon give this to you?" When Athena nodded, Aleksei tapped his head knowingly. "Simon is a man with taste, I say all the time! Beautiful jewelry for beautiful woman." Aleksei seated Athena and drew out a notepad. "Will you both be having Pelmeni?"

"I will," Athena said, and Simon nodded.

"I am willing to try it, yes. Would it also be possible to get some Ptichie Moloko for dessert? I would like Athena to try it."

"Of course! And I will bring wine, yes?" After Simon nodded, Aleksei left them to talk.

"What is Ptichie Moloko?" Athena asked after he was out of earshot.

Simon sighed. "Ah, well this is embarrassing for me, but it's called 'Bird's Milk Cake.' It's a type of custard cake."

Athena clapped her hands together under her chin. "That sounds delicious! Custard is actually my favorite!"

Simon smiled and looked at the table nervously. "I remember." Athena had had custard for the last birthday she'd had before Metis had been murdered. Simon had always promised himself that should he get out, he'd buy her custard. He hadn't had a chance until now to do so, however.

Athena blushed and stared intently at the table as well. "That's... really cute."

_This is going to be wonderful,_ she thought to herself as she glanced back up at Simon. _This is going to be so much fun._


	10. Interlude

A lot of people were asking for a picture of Athena and Simon on their first date, so I went ahead and drew it. It's a little different than the description I gave (for example, her ribbon isn't in her hair in this one, and Simon isn't wearing his Blackquill cufflinks), but I think it's a pretty good picture regardless. DeviantART user zelka94 helped me with the lineart on this one, and I tried out a different coloring style than I normally do. Feedback is definitely more than welcome!

Unfortunately because doesn't let us include images, I'll have to link to it. Here it is! You'll have to take the spaces out of the URL because of how works: athenablackquill. deviantart art/A-Flighty-Affair-Date-Night-478545713


	11. Chapter 11

Athena and Simon were happy to see the pelmeni arrive; truth be told, both were incredibly hungry at that point. Aleksi waited for them to taste it before leaving the table, his eyes fixed primarily on Athena.

Athena bit into the dumplings. "Mm... Is this... Beef, pork, and mutton?" she asked, and Aleksi nodded excitedly.

"It is traditional dish in Izhevsk. We put onion in as well, and garlic." Aleksi rubbed his hands together as Simon nodded, his face surprisingly reflecting that of contentment.

"It is indeed delicious, Aleksi," Simon said, putting his fork down for a moment as he wiped his mouth. "You always outdo yourself, from what I am told. I believe the rumors."

"I will inform the chefs the great Simon Blackquill approves! And the beautiful Miss Athena!" Aleksi rushed to the kitchen.

Athena chuckled. "The great Simon Blackquill, huh?" She put more pelmeni into her mouth.

Simon nodded, slightly amused. He picked up his wine glass and swirled the liquid inside. "Aleksi is an old fashioned man. All the men are great, and all the women are beautiful." He took a long sip and glanced at Athena's empty glass. "Did you not want any wine?"

Athena blushed slightly. "Well," she said quietly, "I _am _only 19."

Simon set his glass down. "I apologize. I hadn't considered you were not yet of drinking age."

"It's okay," Athena responded, awkwardly sipping her water. "I drank a little while in Europe, because of the different drinking age laws there, but other than that, no."

Simon chuckled. "I may be a prosecutor, but I am no Miles Edgeworth. If you would like a glass of merlot with your meal, I won't tell anyone."

_That's... surprisingly lenient of him,_ Athena thought to herself. _He's not... testing me, is he? No, Simon wouldn't do something like that._Hesitantly, Athena reached for the bottle, but Simon grabbed it first, offering to pour. "I've never had merlot," she admitted.

"Well, I hope you enjoy it." Simon set the bottle down after filling her glass and continued eating.

The two continued with small talk, mostly office gossip, as they finished their main courses. Apparently Klavier Gavin had made a few passes at Franziska von Karma, mostly as a joke, telling people he liked it rough. Of course, von Karma was hardly publicly pleased with the attention, though Simon mused she was also amused, as he'd caught her smiling a few times after talking with Klavier. When Athena asked if they would end up dating, Simon shook his head. He had it on fairly good authority that Klavier was not at all Franziska's type. He then changed the subject and asked if there was anything interesting going on on the Wright side. Athena mentioned she had heard Phoenix had a date tomorrow, but she didn't know who it was. Simon mused he might have an idea, but didn't want to mention who.

Then Aleski came back with the ptichye moloko. Being the sly man he was, he encouraged the two to move their seats so they were next to one another, and had put the two pieces on one plate, with two forks. Athena shyly allowed Simon, who seemed to be reveling in how red her face was, to feed her a bite off his fork.

"It's so... light. Milky, and chocolatey. Oh my gosh this is so good," she said, mostly to her lap. Her face was still quite red, and Simon was still grinning. He seemed bolder in front of Aleksi, but Athena didn't mind, if she was honest with herself. She watched as Simon filled up her wine glass, which emptied the bottle.

"Would you like more merlot, Simon?" Aleski asked, getting ready to head to the kitchen.

"No thank you," Simon responded. "Are you sure you don't want me to pay for any of this?"

"Of course I am!" Aleksi said, a bit of hurt creeping into his voice. He hand waved the suggestion away. "You two enjoy the ptichye moloko." He quickly left, giving Simon a wink.

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable," Simon said as soon as Aleksi was out of earshot. "I figured he would enjoy a small show of a happy couple. His own wife of thirty-eight years died of cancer a few years back-"

"That's horrible," Athena said, and Simon nodded.

"-and he has spoken several times about wanting young people to live their life to the fullest."

Athena put some of the cake onto her fork and offered it to Simon, blushing yet again. This time, Simon also blushed. "I didn't mind..." she said quietly, and gently placed the fork into his mouth.

Somehow, the cake tasted a bit sweeter with Athena feeding it to him.

Once the cake was gone, the two moved to leave. Aleksi bid them farewell, kissed Athena's hand and called her beautiful, shook Simon's hand, and waved as they left.

"Ugh," said a figure sitting alone on the other end of the restaurant. "I question that fool's judgment."

A waiter stopped by the table. "Would you like your check, Miss-"

"Yes, please."

The waiter nodded and rushed to the register, nervous about his customer's short temper. _At least I'll get a good tip,_ he thought to himself, and quickly grabbed the check.

Outside, Simon hailed a taxi, citing Gumshoe's incessant rambling as an excuse. "I... am actually unsure of what to do next," he admitted as they got into the taxi.

"Hm. Well we could hang out at my apartment, if you wanted," Athena offered. "I have tons of movies we could watch, or uh, board games or something... Or we could just talk I guess?" Simon nodded, so she gave the taxi driver her address. They made small talk as the driver navigated the streets of Los Angeles, and when they arrived, they rushed upstairs, as it had gotten much colder since the sun had gone down.

Athena and Simon entered her apartment and Athena took his jacket. "Do you... mind if I change into sweatpants or something?" she asked, and Simon laughed.

"I don't see why not."

"Okay, make yourself at home! There's all kinds of stuff in the fridge." She went into her bedroom and shut the door, and Simon could hear drawers opening and closing.

Simon decided to take a look around as he loosened his tie. Bright, colorful paintings decorated the otherwise plain walls of her apartment. Her furniture was fairly simple as well, definitely influenced by modern European fashion. He walked over to where his coat hung on the wall and placed his tie over his jacket, and then unbuttoned his shirt slightly.

Athena's bedroom door opened and she came back into the living room wearing a pale yellow tank top and red sweatpants. "Did you get a drink?" she asked. Simon shook his head, so she sighed and went into the kitchen, grabbing two bottles of water she'd filled herself. She tossed one to Simon and flopped onto her couch, patting beside her. Simon followed her instructions and sat down beside her.

"You don't have to be so stiff, Simon," Athena said cheerfully, grabbing a pillow and throwing it on his lap. She then laid on the couch with the back of her head resting on the pillow, so she was looking up at Simon. She smiled as Simon blushed. _Payback for feeding me,_ she thought playfully.

The two spoke on a variety of topics for quite some time, and eventually Simon felt comfortable enough to start playing with Athena's hair. She chatted happily as he ran his fingers through her hair, silently noted how soft and silky it was. After a few hours, the discussion turned to relationships, and quickly became intimate.

"So... how many people have you, um..." Athena was turning red. An awkward silence hung in the air, and Athena began to regret asking.

"...Oh... Hm. One, shortly before I went to prison. Obviously while there I didn't get any opportunities to meet people." Athena frowned. "I-I did not mean that as a jab," he added quickly. He paused. "...What about you?"

"...Also one... but it wasn't very good," she said, her blush intensifying. Simon couldn't help but notice how far down her throat and chest that blush went.

"What was wrong with him... or her...?"

"Him," she responded a little too eagerly. "He uh, well I couldn't feel anything."

Simon's eyes widened. "He was inadequate?"

Athena reddened further. N-No," she stammered, "Emotions. I didn't feel his emotions."

The realization dawned on Simon. Of course she would be bothered by that. "He did not love you." Athena turned her face away, hand instinctively moving to hold her other arm. He was almost afraid to ask, but he did anyway. "Did you love him?"

She nodded meekly, but then seemed to regret it. "I mean, I'm not sure..."

Simon felt a pang of anger and jealousy, but worked to suppress it. "We don't have to talk about it." He continued to run his fingers through her hair, gently working out any tangles he came across. Athena quickly turned her head back and looked him in the eyes.

"No! No. I just... did you love her?"

Simon did not hesitate. "It was a mutual fling." In truth, the girl he'd been with hadn't meant much to him; rather, it was a momentary lack of self-control on his part, after a night of heavy drinking. They both had woken up the next morning and nervously gotten dressed. Simon had made breakfast and they'd sat in silence together, before she mentioned she wasn't interested in anything serious and he'd responded in kind. He didn't even remember her name.

"I see..." Athena fell quiet. "...His name was Ethan. He was an American, but we both went to school in England at the time. We um, you know, after a few dates, and then we went on one more date... and then I didn't hear from him. I guess he moved, but didn't think to tell me." Simon could feel her sadness. "I mean, it doesn't matter anymore, it just... it stinks to know there are people out there like that."

Without thinking, Simon leaned down and kissed Athena on the forehead. "I would never do such a thing," he promised.

Athena blushed. "Simon..." She glanced away and noticed the clock. "Oh! It's so late!" She jumped up and looked at the clock again.

Simon glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. Indeed, it was late, nearly midnight. Perhaps he should go home. He definitely didn't want to overstay his welcome. Simon moved the pillow back to the couch and stood, rebuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. "As much as I would love to stay here, I think I should head home. Trucy's show is tomorrow, yes?"

Athena nodded. "Are you going?" It was Simon's turn to nod. "Maybe we could go together?"

"That would be wonderful, if you are not tired of me by then." He made his way to the coat rack on the wall and grabbed his tie, putting it back on properly. Athena followed and grabbed his jacket, helping him put it on after his tie was fixed. "Thank you for the lovely evening," he said, heading toward the door.

"Wait," Athena said, grabbing his hand. "Simon... Thank you for tonight."

She leaned in, tiptoeing, and kissed Simon on the cheek. As she leaned away, Simon quickly put his hand behind her neck and pulled her face toward his, pressing his lips gently against hers. After a moment, he allowed her to pull away and smiled, trying not to blush. Athena stared at their feet, but looked like she was over the moon.

"I will see you tomorrow," Simon said, opening the door.

"Yes," Athena responded. As soon as the door closed behind Simon, she locked the door and sprinted back to her room, launching herself in the air and landing on her bed, squealing with delight. She hadn't had so much fun on a date in years, which was sad, given she was only 19. Apollo's words regarding Simon's mental state and ability to communicate quickly flashed in her mind, but the feeling of his lips on hers quickly drowned that out.

Meanwhile, Simon was sitting in the back of a car with Gumshoe cheerfully blathering on about something or other. Simon stared out the window, completely oblivious to the world around him. If he'd had more money on him, he'd have opted for a taxi, but in all honesty, he was quite content no matter what happened. Tomorrow was the magic show, and he was going to see Athena again. She liked him. She had been okay with him kissing her forehead, and she'd even kissed him on the cheek. And when he'd kissed her on the lips, she had been okay with that too. He felt like a teenager! It was ridiculous, but he'd never been happier.

He definitely owed Aura a thank you present.


	12. Chapter 12

Phoenix paced around his office, nervously adjusting his tie. He felt as if his palms had never been so sweaty in his life, and his knees were weak enough to buckle under him. He was alone: Clay and Apollo had left hours ago, Pearl and Trucy had gone to some indie film festival, and Athena was on a date with Simon. Phoenix shook his head, still unable to believe _that _was happening. Something creaked in the hallway and he nearly gave himself a heart attack. _Calm down_, he thought to himself. _It's just-_

"Nick?" a voice called gently, the door knob turning, door opening slightly. Phoenix gulped.

"...Maya?" he somehow managed to respond.

"Oh, Nick!" Maya ran into the room and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly. It had been well over a year since she'd seen him last, and she'd longed for this moment. Immediately, old memories came flooding back to other times they'd hugged like this, and she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad you were able to make it," Phoenix responded, leaning back slightly. Their faces were inches from one another, and Phoenix considered kissing her. Something held him back however, and he closed his eyes and pulled himself away. "How was... how was your train ride?" he asked, trying not to sound dejected.

"It was good," Maya responded, refusing to let him pull away this time. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, resting the side of her face on his chest. "I've missed you."

Phoenix softened. "I've missed you too..." He allowed himself to gently place his lips on the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. It _was _good to have her back, but it was also incredibly painful. A reminder of what he could never have...

Maya shifted her weight and looked up at Phoenix, their faces close once again. "How are things?" she whispered, smiling. She could tell something was bothering him, and she had an idea of what, but she didn't want to talk about that right now. Maya had a feeling he didn't, either.

"Oh, you know," Phoenix whispered. "Apollo's doing a great job as a defense attorney, and he's happy with Clay, who you should meet. I think you guys would get along." He rested his forehead on hers, feeling his guard fall further down, dissipating into nothing. "Athena... went on a date with the prosecutor I was telling you about."

"Simon? The sulky bird guy?" Maya squinted a bit, laughing.

"I have no idea how it's going-"

"-they're on the date now?-" she asked, with widened eyes.

Phoenix laughed. "At this very moment, I believe." He glanced at the clock. It was 9:36pm. "Yeah, they should be eating still, I think, or maybe doing whatever else. For all I know, they went to the circus."

Maya's eyes widened further. "Is the circus in town?" she asked, louder than she anticipated.

Phoenix laughed again, a bit harder. "No, no. I just mean I don't know what they had planned after. A movie, maybe." He returned to leaning his forehead against hers.

"How is Pearly adjusting?" Maya leaned in a bit closer, her lips brushing against his.

Phoenix held his breath for a moment, jolted by the contact. "She's... fine. She and Trucy are attached at the lips-I mean, at the hips. Hips." He felt his face going hot, and Maya gave him a demure smile in return.

"I'm glad she's fitting in so well. I almost didn't believe her emails... You know how she likes to pretend everything's okay, even when it's not." _Like someone else I know. _She pressed her lips against his and could feel his body tense. A hand went to hold the side of her face, fingers gently tangling in her hair. Maya moved her hands to Phoenix's chest and gripped his suit lapels tightly. Over a year without physical contact, only letters, because Phoenix was surprisingly old fashioned for such a forward-thinking individual. Over a year of knowing he was holding back on her, not wanting to make things harder than they were... which surprisingly, made it even harder to focus on her training... Maya pulled away, slowly, enjoying watching Phoenix's lips follow hers. "I'm... a little tired, from the train ride," she said, looking into his eyes. "Could we maybe..."

"Yeah," Phoenix responded, pulling away and coughing awkwardly. "Let me grab the stuff I was working on, and we can go."_ Well, the stuff I was _trying _to focus on._ He quickly gathered up the court documents Miles had given him earlier that day and shoved them into a suitcase. _I know what I'm _not _getting to this weekend_, he mused.

Phoenix called a taxi to get them to his house. Maya giggled. "Still don't have a license?" she asked, and Phoenix shook his head. The taxi ride itself was fairly quiet, with Maya taking in the sights she had missed so much. Kurain Village was nice, but very simple. There were no bright lights, no fantastic shows or really even fests, no cars or trains or planes flying overhead. There were no cosplayers or street performers or musicians. There was a lot she missed about Los Angeles, other than Phoenix.

Phoenix's apartment was surprisingly humble for his paycheck, but Maya knew where at least some of his money went each month. Every month, on the 15th, a check would come in the mail: an anonymous donation from someone in Los Angeles who was interested in helping maintain the "historical beauty" of the village. On entrance to Phoenix's apartment, Maya immediately headed over to his work desk, an old fashioned cherry wood desk with a small amp

"What are you-"

"I just want to see if you're still drawing, like I told you to," she said, flipping through papers on his desk. Phoenix made a move to stop her, but she gave him that look he knew so well, that knowing, flirtatious smile that made her somehow look completely innocent and devilish, all wrapped up in a lilac dress and purple coat. "You _have _been drawing, haven't you, Nick? That art school training can't go down the drain!" She turned to rummage more. Maya gasped as she pulled out one from under a stack of chibi Edgeworths yelling at various people.

"No, not that one, it's not done-"

"Nick..." She stared at the sketch of her, dressed in white, surrounded by cherry blossom trees, a mountain in the background. He had begun to paint it, but hadn't gotten very far. "Is this... the garden in Kurain Village?" she finally managed. "The one I took you to a couple years ago when you visited?"

"...Yeah, I think that's how I remember it, anyway." He took the drawing from her. "You weren't supposed to see it yet. Then again, I had hoped to finish it by the time you visited again..." Phoenix sighed, looking almost sad. Maya felt a little bad for ruining the surprise.

Maya took the sketch back and let it sit on his desk. "Well, I think it's your best work so far. I'm glad you still think of me..." She grabbed his jacket lapels again and pulled him to her, firmly kissing him this time, mouth slightly open. Phoenix took her in his arms and returned the kiss, pressing his body into hers.

"Of course I still think of you," he responded before urgently reclaiming his place on her mouth, his tongue finding hers. In the back of his brain, Phoenix knew he shouldn't be doing this, he shouldn't be kissing her, reattaching himself to her emotionally, but he couldn't help it. Maya was his anchor, even when she wasn't around.

He could have dated other women, and had tried, but it always came back to Maya. No one knew him the way she did. No one laughed at his jokes quite like she did, no one put up with his self-pity the way she did, no one comforted him the way she could. Phoenix didn't believe in true love, but if he did, she'd be the one. But they could never be together. Life kept pulling them apart.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked, and finally Phoenix snapped back into reality.

"I just... I can't do this again," Phoenix said, pulling away, his hands lingering in hers. "I can't get close to you again, I can't feel this way again, and then..."

"...And then I leave." Maya dropped her hands, listless, to her side. "I thought when you mentioned that Athena liked that Simon guy, you'd finally understand. People can be apart and still love one another." Her face was downcast, sullen. They were going to have this conversation again. They'd had it a few times, and it had never ended well. _Who was I kidding, thinking this wouldn't come up?_

"I... It's not like that," Phoenix responded. "They weren't a couple until just now, and though they were apart for a really long time, they're together now. If and when their relationship gets to be like ours was, they'll still be in the same area, more than likely. You and I... I can't quit being a lawyer and come up to Kurain Village..."

"And I won't drop being a spirit medium. I get it... You don't have to remind me all the time..." Maya was full on pouting now, tears welling up in her eyes.

Phoenix sighed. "I'm sorry. I love you, Maya. Maya," he repeated, reaching for her hands again. "I love you. I can't be with anyone else. It just... tears me apart to feel this happy and then be devastated when you leave again."

Maya continued to stare at the ground. "So... where does this leave us?" A pause. "Should I leave?"

"No!" Phoenix exclaimed instinctively. "No. I..." Phoenix sighed. "...I don't know where this leaves us." Silence fell between them, with only a ticking clock filling up the empty air around them. A few awkward moments pass, before he finally said, "I... I'll do it."

Maya looked at him, tears freely streaming down her face. "...Do what?"

Phoenix closed the space between them, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I, Phoenix Wright, will be torn apart. Each time we meet, I can't help but feel like I'm alive again. Like I'm born anew." He laughed. "I know that sounds stupid, but I... I don't feel like myself until you're around. I can't say no to you." He kissed her nose. "I can take it... I'd rather be happy a few weekends every couple of years with you than to never see you again."

Maya stifled a sob as Phoenix pressed his lips against hers one more time. She selfishly accepted the kisses, her arms wrapping around his neck as Phoenix lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, and led her to his bedroom. They could be together, happily, as a couple, if only for a few nights. Since it would be all that they could have, they'd have to convince themselves that it was all that they would need.


End file.
